cottontail
noun
cot·ton·tail
ˈkä-tᵊn-ˌtāl 
: any of several rather small North American rabbits (genus Sylvilagus) sandy to grayish brown in color with a white-tufted underside of the tail
Examples of cottontail in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Easter wildlife:Get ready for the Easter bunny — and cottontail babies.
—
Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 28 Mar. 2024
In Soil, Callie is often at her mother’s side in the garden, snipping the heads from dandelions and naming the cottontail bunnies who dwell there.
—Emily Raboteau, The New York Review of Books, 1 Nov. 2020
The cottontails and snowshoes were generally shot on the run with Pat screaming on their trail.
—Outdoor Life, 23 Nov. 2023
Unlike the dainty cottontail, this desert denizen has a namesake black tail.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Oct. 2023
In another statement, Wilton Manors Police Chief Gary Blocker reiterated the city’s commitment to treating the cuddly cottontails with gentle hands.
—Antonio Planas, NBC News, 19 July 2023
Thompson attributes the greater rabbit presence to development around Boston that may be reducing the amount of green space available to the cottontails for foraging.
—Alex Koller, BostonGlobe.com, 15 June 2023
But Lizzy Caplan, who plays Alex in the series version on Paramount+, says her character’s actions are far worse than cooking cottontails.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 1 May 2023
The same study found that marsh and cottontail rabbits and foxes had disappeared from the area.
—Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2023
Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 28 Mar. 2024
In Soil, Callie is often at her mother’s side in the garden, snipping the heads from dandelions and naming the cottontail bunnies who dwell there.
—Emily Raboteau, The New York Review of Books, 1 Nov. 2020
The cottontails and snowshoes were generally shot on the run with Pat screaming on their trail.
—Outdoor Life, 23 Nov. 2023
Unlike the dainty cottontail, this desert denizen has a namesake black tail.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Oct. 2023
In another statement, Wilton Manors Police Chief Gary Blocker reiterated the city’s commitment to treating the cuddly cottontails with gentle hands.
—Antonio Planas, NBC News, 19 July 2023
Thompson attributes the greater rabbit presence to development around Boston that may be reducing the amount of green space available to the cottontails for foraging.
—Alex Koller, BostonGlobe.com, 15 June 2023
But Lizzy Caplan, who plays Alex in the series version on Paramount+, says her character’s actions are far worse than cooking cottontails.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 1 May 2023
The same study found that marsh and cottontail rabbits and foxes had disappeared from the area.
—Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cottontail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Cottontail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cottontail. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cottontail
noun
cot·ton·tail
ˈkät-ᵊn-ˌtāl
: any of several small brownish gray rabbits with a fluffy tail that is white on the underside
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